Lebanon
'The Republic of Lebanon ' '''The Republic of Lebanon '''or '''Lebanon '''is a nation situated in the Middle East. The Republic of Lebanon has been the background of the third major US intervention in the Middle East in 2035, with the intervention ending in 2037, damaging NATO relations. Lebanon now exists as a parliamentary republic with former support from the United States of America, under the Lebanese Forces party, a conservative christian party representing Lebanese christian interests. The current republic faces severe economic and social issues, such as the major inequality between the maronite christians and the islamic population, both politically and financially. Hezbollah remains a major force in the southern provinces of Lebanon, waging war against the Beirut government of the March 14 Coalition. Environmental issues also plague Lebanon, such as the major trash issues in Beirut and the dumping of illegal waste in the rural provinces. Lebanon prior to 2050 The Republic of Lebanon faced major social and economic turmoil in the early 2020s, as protests against the Free Patriotic Movement and the March 8 Coalition would force president Michel Aoun to step down. The 2022 elections would result in a major victory for the Future Movement and the March 14 Coalition, leading to a period of economic growth. The 2025 Atlantic Crash would hit Lebanon hard, decimating its tourism and banking sectors in the process. The hands-off approach of the Future Movement government under Saad Hariri would not help the economy recover, leading to an eventual moderate Keynesian approach in 2024. Government spending increased the Lebanese debt. A controversial policy regarding the lowering of interest rates would be the main catalyst for the Yellow Banner Protests of 2025, during which major parts of the Lebanese middle class took it to the streets and protested against the Future Movement economic approach. The protests, while starting with due to the economic issues faced by the Lebanese people, quickly turned against the sectarian and personality-driven nature of Lebanese politics, demanding reforms towards secularization of the government. The March 14 Coalition formed a short-term unity government with pro-government independents and cracked down against the Yellow-Banner protestors. Eventual clashes between the secular protestors and the religious factions would occur, with the main opponent of the protests being Hezbollah. On the 17th of October, 2025, 2 young men were found dead in the middle of the Beirut protests, dying from shotwounds. The deaths of these young men spread through Lebanon as a wildfire, as many suspected the Hezbollah paramilitary wing to be guilty of the murders. Hezbollah officials under Hassan Nasrallah would deny any involvement with the murders. The 2026 elections were won by the March 14 Alliance, but not by the Future Movement. Instead, the Lebanese Forces, a nationalist christian party, won the elections, becoming the government and coalition leader. With the Lebanese Forces victory, Joseph Sarkis, former minister of tourism and member of the Beirut munincipal council, became prime minister. With Sarkis becoming prime minister, the unwritten understanding known as the National Pact was broken, as the prime minister wasn't a sunni muslim, but a christian. Under the Lebanese Forces, the Yellow Banner Protests quietly ended. Economic policies regarding the recovery from the 2025 Crash were mostly based on classical liberalism and Laissez Faire economics (which are unofficially enshrined in the Lebanese constitution) and an eventual return to economic growth would bring some stability back to the economy in late 2026. However, 2026 would not be known for its return to peace in Lebanon, as the March 14 Alliance began a head-on approach to the so-called "Hezbollah Problem". Disarming of Hezbollah militias became a frequent topic in the Lebanese parliament and the government allowed the Special Tribunal in Lebanon to investigate the 17th of October murders of 2025. The eventual investigation linked a low-ranking member of the Hezbollah paramilitary to the murders, leading to the tribunal finding him guilty of murder. The arrest of the Hezbollah member would start a political crisis, as Hezbollah quickly turned against the government. In the now infamous Declaration of Government Illegitimacy of 2026, Hezbollah denounced the March 14 government and condemmed its actions against the Shia population of Lebanon. In it, Hezbollah declared an armed struggle against the Beirut government, mobilizing 10,000 men in the southern provinces of Lebanon and launching 200 rockets targetting Beirut and other major March 14/christian strongholds. During this period of instability, the March 14 Government formed an Unity Government with the March 8 opposition. The situation would continue to worsen in the late 2020s, as Hezbollah forces would start fighting a guerilla warfare against the 72,000 men strong Lebanese army. While the Lebanese Armed Forces were able to break Hezbollah opposition in most major cities, the rural regions continued to be in Hezbollah hands, with the southern region continueing to run as an independent government away from Beirut under Hezbollah. The Lebanese conflict quickly caught the attention of the UN in 2028 after a series of suicide bombings against American civilians, leading to 20 casualties (of which 1 American). With the EU, China and the US having interests in keeping Hezbollah away from the Lebanese seat of power, sanctions were placed on the southern provinces while the March 14 government gained support from the US, Israel, Saudi-Arabia, Australia, New Zealand, France and the UK. The eventual 2035 French Bees Incident would turn government opinion in the US in favour of intervening. The United States formed a coalition with France, Israel, Poland, Greece and the Netherlands to intervene in Lebanon and neutralize the Hezbollah threat. Category:Asia